Vampiria: A Gender-Bending Vampire Story

14 - The End of the Beginning

I woke up in an unfamiliar room, a cliché in my life at this point. It was a cozy space if a bit dark. The covers over me were soft and the light was dim. I wanted to get right back to sleep, but I drove away my drowsiness and got up. I was naked apart from tight white underwear and a matching bra.

My yellow floral dress was hung up on the doorway, clean, with the same white sandal heels. I was no longer wearing French Tip nails and my necklace was gone.

Seeing no other clothing, I put on my dress and heels and carefully headed out the door. I found myself in a hallway lined with matching doorways labeled with names. I checked mine and found this inscribed on a golden plaque:

'Middleton, G/Laurent, E'

'Oh, you're up.'

A turned to see a familiar girl standing behind me. I recognized her as the young receptionist from the therapists office, only now I could clearly tell she was a teenager. She had long brown hair done in a neat fringe. She was wearing a black t-shirt emblazoned with a symbol, a black skirt, red and yellow mismatched socks that went to her knees and a pair of trainers, also with the symbol.

It took me a second to realize what the symbol was.

'Helsing,' I muttered.

The girl nodded. 'Right this way.' She motioned for me to follow.

I walked with her until we reached a large open common area. There were cafeteria benches, a kitchen, a space in the corner with a bunch of bean bag chairs and a TV. Above was a whole other floor with stairs leading up and down.

There were people sitting on the benches, some faces new and some familiar.

'Ho, there!' the Good Doctor yelled. He wheeled himself over in a chair and nearly overshot himself. 'I imagine you have many questions.'

I looked over at the rest of the faces. The receptionist girl took a seat next to Millie who was staring at me intently. Across from them were two boys. One was smiling at me. He was handsome and tall with messy red hair. The other was shorter, a neatly combed brunette with a glower on his face.

I was audibly shocked when I saw Ramone sitting with the group, dressed in the same black shirt and pants, emblazoned with the Helsing logo.

'Hey, amigo. You're looking sexy, for a vampire at least.'

I blushed a little. Shock returned when I saw who he was closely monitoring.

'Laurel!' I exclaimed. She gave me a small wave but nothing more.

'She's a bit shaken as well,' the Good Doctor explained. 'This isn't how you wanted, but welcome to Helsing. This is our HQ.'

I wanted to be more excited at the prospect of being here, but my mind was filled with questions pertaining to the previous night. So much had happened that I needed to know the answers to.

'How long was I out?' I asked.

'Five days,' Ramone answered.

I gasped. 'FIVE DAYS!'

'Don't worry,' the Good Doctor assured me. 'We told your Aunt you were on a class trip. She was quite easy to fool, and dare I say, an incredibly attractive woman. If you don't mind me asking, is she seeing anyone at the-'

'Doctor!' Millie snapped.

'Oh, right, sorry ol' chap, I got a bit distracted there.'

'What happened that night?' I asked nervously.

Laurel stood up to approach me. Ramone shadowed her, watching her carefully. I took it she was Helsing's prisoner.

'A power awakened within you,' she began. 'Gavin, the Vampiria gene is a curse, not a natural phenomenon. It began with the first Queen of the Night, the Progenitor of All Vampires, Mina. She had incredible power and terrorized the human world to near extinction. Her power was so dangerous, the other vampire clans turned against her. Before she was killed, she passed her power down through her bloodline, but Dracula, her husband, cursed the power so that only male hosts could inherit the gift. The catch was male hosts could not use the power. Over time, Mina's bloodline was carried by powerless male hosts, but as time went on, that power began to alter the bodies of those that carried it, resulting in the Vampiria gene.'